It is not easy to get into the Orange wine industry particularly if you're starting from the bottom and don't have the capital to buy your own vineyard.
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However, a couple who have worked at all stages of the industry from grape growing to wine making and even distribution has found the answer.
Rebecca Milne and Aaron Onegin-Ward are launching Grape Pirates Wines after working at vineyards and wineries across the cool climate wine region.
They don't steal but they have begged and borrowed from people they've met in the industry to get where they are today.
"We have finally been able to do our passion for ourselves," Ms Milne said.
"It's a hard industry to start up with from the bottom, especially now with the price of everything and price of land so to be able to beg and [borrow] from other people, that's where the name really comes from Grape Pirates.
"The grapes in Orange are sought after so you are sort of fighting with people to get some to start off with, especially if you don't have your own land.
"You only get into wine for passion, you don't get into it for money that's for sure."
Mr Onegin-Ward said the name started as a joke between them, "we got this for free, we got this...," he said.
The name Grape Pirates stuck.
"We have had a lot of support through the industry and the people that we've met," he said.
The couple are managing a vineyard on Judith Hansen's Canobolas property, they have purchased other grapes and have an agreement to plant some grapes on a friend's property in the future.
"We both work in vineyard and winery," Ms Milne said.
"We use someone else's facilities, Rickard Wines, we work for them as well. They are called Chill Wine Co for their contract wine making."
Before launching Grape Pirates Wines Ms Milne had a long history of working in the wine industry in various countries.
Mr Onegin-Ward was working as a hairdresser in Sydney before moving to Orange six years ago and changing career.
"I just wanted a change and I thought I'd try wine," he said.
"I was always making cider and alcohol and things, I was already interested and thought I'd try and turn that into a career so I started studying viticulture.
"One of the first places I worked was at Heifer Station, I was there for a few years and that's where we met."
Ms Milne came to Orange in 2018.
"I worked for the Jarretts but I've been working in the wine industry for 17 years," Ms Milne said.
"I started in New Zealand, I'm a Kiwi, in Canterbury for Pegasus Bay Wines.
"I've been to Germany, America where I worked in Oregon, which is also cool climate and Chile as well.
"From Chile I came here and I was only meant to be here for six months, that was six years ago and now I've got a baby."
She also worked in wine distribution in Sydney for five years.
Ms Milne has a background with cool climate wines and said she likes Orange and especially the wine community.
"The Orange wine industry is amazing, it's a really good community and from day dot, as soon as we got here everyone was really friendly and welcomed us with open arms, hence why I'm still here."
The wine will be sold online and through local bottle shops and restaurants.
Grape Pirates Wines is only making small batches at this point so punters will need to snap up a bottle once it's released at the end of the month.
The wines will include a chardonnay, pinot noir, caberet from the 2022 vintages.
The 2024 rose and riesling will be released later in the year.
They also have a 2024 shiraz and a merlot malbec.
The website for online sales will go live later in May.
Tanya Marschke
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
I am based at Orange and cover a wide range of subjects as well as the weekly business column. I've worked consistently in the the media industry since 2006 including the past seven years at the Central Western Daily. Before moving to Orange, I worked as a journalist at weekly newspapers the Beaudesert Times and the Gold Coast Sun in Queensland, as well as the Scone Advocate in the Hunter Valley. I started my career at the Ridge News in Lightning Ridge while I completed my journalism studies remotely at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst.
